A discussion that has come up in class a few times this semester is the issue of teaching something, as opposed to teaching about something. The main controversy from which this problem stems is, of course, religion. Public schools are required to maintain a separation of Church and State. I definitely agree that public school teachers should never teach their own religions to their students, imposing their personal beliefs on the kids. But is it okay if teachers teach students about a religion? In social studies, I would say absolutely. Religion is an integral part of understanding cultures. If a teacher simply tries to leave the religion subject out of the curriculum completely, questions are going to arise among students and go unanswered. Religion can play a large part in students’ lives, as well as many other people’s lives around the world. Understanding the vast varieties of religions teaches students tolerance and awareness of cultural differences and similarities.
So, as an elementary school teacher, how can we avoid teaching religion, but still be able to educate our students about religion? The first step would be to go through the principal and district to ensure that what you are teaching qualifies as teaching about, not imposing beliefs. Next, alert the parents about the religious material you will be providing your students with. Make it clear that you are teaching the facts to raise cultural awareness, not to convert their kids into Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. Parent communication is a great CYA strategy, and keeping the parents involved and aware will (for the most part) keep them happy.
When teaching about different religions, it is extremely important to look upon the material as objectively as possible, not letting your own personal beliefs hinder the information you give your students. If a teacher spends 2 days covering Christianity and 30 minutes talking about Islam, what impression are they giving students? It is important to avoid conveying one religion as more important than another. Again, the purpose is to teach tolerance and awareness, not what religion is right or wrong. A good example of an American textbook teaching about a Native American religion comes from James Loewen’s Lies my Teacher Told Me, on page 113:
“Consider how textbooks treat Native religions as a unitary whole. The American Way describes Native American religion in these words: ‘These Native Americans [in the Southeast] believed that nature was filled with spirits. Each form of life, such as plants and animals, had a spirit. Earth and air held spirits too. People were never alone. They shared their lives with the spirits of nature.’ Way is trying to show respect for Native American religion, but it doesn’t work. Stated flatly like this, the beliefs seem like make-believe, not the sophisticated theology of a higher civilization. Let us try a similarly succinct summary of the beliefs of many Christians today: ‘These Americans believed that one great male god ruled the world. Sometimes they divided him into three parts, which they called father, son, and holy ghost. They ate crackers and wine or grape juice, believing that they were eating the son’s body and drinking his blood. If they believed strongly enough, they would live on forever after they dies.'”
This quote jumped out at me as I was reading the book. It all relates back to showing mutual respect among all religions, not putting an emphasis on the importance of any one. Teaching something vs. teaching about something is a vital part of being an educator. It extends on to feminism, evolution, even politics. I believe that teachers should let students form their own views and opinions about these kinds of topics, not tell students that they should believe what the teacher believes. Imposing beliefs can even happen unintentionally because students look up to their teachers as role models and many of them want to be just like the teacher! This is why it is so important to be aware of the messages we are sending to students.
I could not agree more with what you’ve said. Most history’s start out as a religious motive so to teacher about certain history’s without discussing the reason behind it would do it a disservice. I also think you have given some great ideas on how to affectively teach about religion and I feel support is the number one factor! Great insight!